Starting in 2021, 50 high school students will be awarded full-ride scholarships to attend Binghamton University. Give Something Back, a national scholarship and mentoring organization, and BU have partnered to provide more than $1 million to fund the scholarships.

“The Binghamton University community is extremely excited about being the recipient of Give Something Back’s generous gift,” BU President Harvey Stenger said at a press conference last week. “We look forward to welcoming the students who will receive this support and the amazing things that they will accomplish while attending Binghamton University.”

BU is just the third school in New York state, after Mercy College and Queens College, to partner with Give Something Back. Currently, the organization works with 24 other higher education institutions across the country. Lina Moe, director of the organization’s New York program, wrote in an email that the University’s reputation as a premier higher education institution made it an attractive partner for Give Something Back.

“We selected SUNY Binghamton because of their outstanding academics and student support services,” Moe wrote. “Their programs, such as the TRIO program, align with Give Back’s mission to help students thrive in a challenging academic environment and graduate in four years.”

Give Something Back’s financial model begins with an upfront contribution to a selected partner school, given four years before the first Give Something Back students are expected to attend. The school has complete freedom over how they choose to spend this money. Once students begin to attend the institution, the scholarship typically provides $20,000 per student every year for four years. The rest of the students’ expenses are covered by Pell Grants and the partner colleges.

Give Something Back was founded in 2003 by Robert Carr, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, who said he was inspired to help students after he received a $250 scholarship from a local woman’s club as a high school senior. The program identifies and recruits low-income students in ninth grade with the help of community organizations and high school counselors. Give Something Back pays special attention to students who have faced adversity, like the incarceration of a parent or time in foster care.

High school recruitment for BU will begin this year with the first Give Something Back scholars expected on campus in 2021. Once accepted into the program, students receive support from college-educated and community mentors who help the student navigate Give Something Back’s requirements for college preparation, which include keeping a minimum 3.0 GPA, displaying strong character and taking college-preparatory courses. Students must then apply to partner colleges and are accepted under the same conditions as all other applicants.

Michelle Gardner, senior director of foundation relations at BU, wrote in an email that the program will provide students with opportunities and experiences that they may have considered previously unattainable.

“When Give Something Back decided to enter NYS they wanted to ensure that there was an opportunity for students to attend a campus outside the city – to expand their view of the world,” Gardner wrote.